NFL to Play Three Games on Christmas Day

Pittsburgh Steelers Christmas Day Netflix
A Pittsburgh Steelers fan dressed as Santa Claus. -- Ed Thompson / Steelers Now

With Christmas falling on a Sunday this year, the NFL will go head-to-head with the NBA and play a trio of games on the holiday for the first time ever.

Joining a podcast this week hosted by Buffalo Bills sideline reporter Sal Capaccio, NFL Vice President of Broadcasting Mike North revealed the league will play a triple header on Christmas Day. A game each will be played CBS and FOX during the afternoon, while NBC will have a primetime matchup.

“Christmas, when it falls on an NFL game day, we’ve had a lot of success there, all due respect to our friends at the NBA. It is something that our friends are interested in,” North said. “If Christmas falls on a Sunday, it makes perfect sense.”

The league will be playing on Christmas for a third-straight year. Green Bay defeated Cleveland 24-22 last season in a game that averaged 28.6 million viewers on FOX. It was the third-most watched matchup of the 2021 regular season slate.

The complete 2022 schedule will be unveiled on May 12.

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